Advice needed: how to sew a tote bag from old jeans?
Hello everyone! 🙂
Inspired by the tutorial How to sew a reusable eco-bag from our crafter, I decided to make something similar out of old jeans.
## What I have:
- two pairs of almost identical blue jeans that I'm tired of and are a bit too big... but it's a shame to throw them away;
- a desire to create;
- nasty weather outside + vacation, i.e., plenty of time.
I decided to sew a bag from them, and not just any bag, but one that looks decent. 🙂
So, the jeans are almost straight, slightly tapered at the bottom (all photos enlarge when clicked).
There is a decorative stitch along the inner seam. It is still in good condition, so I can use it as a decorative element.
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On the outside of the leg, there is a regular seam, like this:
The core idea: rip open the outer seam of both legs, cut off the bottom and top. Keep the double topstitching - it will run down the center of the bag on both the front and back. Even out the edges, since the leg tapers towards the bottom.
Next - cut out the back pockets of the jeans (don't rip them off, but cut them out with a fabric allowance of up to 1 cm):
Sew them on both sides of the decorative double stitch, folding the seam allowances inward (finish the edges of the allowances).
Then follow everything as described in Squirrel's tutorial. Finish all raw edges. Sew the bag along the side seams and the bottom, and press the seams open. Fold the top edge twice and stitch it on a machine or sew by hand.
From the second pair of jeans, cut two long handles for the bag - so it can be worn over the shoulder.
Closure - a snap button or Velcro.
I think this model could even be sewn by hand, without a sewing machine, and the bag should look quite nice.
What do you think? 🙂
Old jeans are an inexhaustible source of inspiration for truly thrifty craftswomen! 😂 Great idea, and most importantly, it's simple! If the pocket sizes on the two pairs of jeans were different, I would also sew the smaller one onto the inside of the bag. On the outside, the seams would be hidden under the larger pocket, and everything would look neat! And, you have to agree, an inside pocket is a useful thing!